Lent lasts for about 40 days, but the exact way people count it is a bit nuanced.

Quick Scoop

  • In most Western Christian traditions (Catholic, many Protestants), Lent is 40 days of fasting/penance, not counting Sundays.
  • On the calendar, that usually looks like Ash Wednesday up to Holy Thursday evening or Holy Saturday , which spans about 44–46 calendar days total, depending on how you count.
  • The “40 days” idea comes from Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness , so the season is meant to echo that time of prayer, fasting, and temptation.

So if you’re asking “how long does Lent go for?”:
Spiritually, it’s a 40‑day season of preparation before Easter; on the calendar, it runs from Ash Wednesday into the days just before Easter, a little over six weeks long.

A quick example

If Easter falls in late March or early April in a given year, Lent will start on the preceding Ash Wednesday and continue for roughly six and a half weeks, with Sundays usually not counted as part of the 40 fasting days.